I am constantly amazed at the number of people who pass themselves off as landscapers that haven't the slightest idea what they are doing. I am even more amazed that so many horticulturally challenged people actually pay these people to do work for which they should be prosecuted instead, and don't even know they've been taken! Before you hire anyone to do any work for you, make sure they know what they are doing.(especially if you don't)
If all you want is your lawn mowed a
neighborhood teenager is usually the least expensive, and
most dependable. It doesn't take much knowledge to push a
mower. Most people who mow lawns for a living know little
about landscaping. If you ask them, sure they'll "trim"
your shrubs, they'll likely butcher them. One misplaced cut
can turn a prized specimen plant into garbage. A few simple
questions can quickly determine if you're talking to
someone who has some horticultural knowledge. A
good "landscape maintenance" company, or person, can
usually take care of all of your landscapng needs, and keep
your lawn looking good too. (not just
"mowed", but healthy and weed free.)
Never hire anyone who comes Knocking on your door, asking
if they can do work for you. Professionals don't go door to
door. Scam artists do.
Ask, "Is shearing your preferred
method of trimming bushes?" A "Yes" is a big red flag!
Although some plants can withstand shearing better than
others, shears should always be used with great discretion.
They can
do severe damage to some plants. Shears are rarely the best
tool for trimming any plant.
Ask, "Do you top trees?" a "Yes" to
this is very bad! Never hire anyone who advertises tree
topping as a service. Don't hire anyone who answers "yes"
to this question without at least adding, "But I don't
reccomend it" If they answer "No" ask why. You want to be
sure they know that topping is a bad practice,
not just that they "don't have a chainsaw" or anything like
that.
When they come to your house or
business, walk outside with them. (No reputable company
will
take a job without seeing the property.)
Ask them to identify a few plants. Even if you don't know
the answer you can tell if they know anything. If you point
to an evergreen shrub and they say, "That's a holly" laugh
at them. There are countless types of hollies; a competent
person will tell you the type of holly. (If it is indeed a
holly.) "That's a holly" is little better than "that's a
bush". Granted, some of the "labor" of
even a good company may not can identify the plants,
but there should be someone on the job at all times that
can answer any questions.
As you walk through your property,
point to a very sunny spot and ask about planting azaleas
and hostas there. If they agree, without suggesting other
plants, don't hire them. Azaleas and hostas both prefer a
shadier spot. Any one who will plant any thing any where
either doesn't care, or doesn't know about your landscape.
(No sunny spots?, ask about
planting a crepe myrtle under a tree.)
A reputable landscaper guarantees their work, so will
want to do all they can to insure that your plants do
well.
Always ask for references, and check
them out. Go and look at some properties which they have
done. If possible, talk to the owners, and see what they
have to say about your prospective landscapers. This is one
of the best ways to find out about them. If you are having
a landscape installed it's best to ask for "older"
references; places they did 2-3 years ago. Any one
can make a landscape look good when it's first planted. A
good design improves with age.
If trees they planted
over a year ago still have stakes on them, They obviously
don't care about their work. The staking wires can kill a
tree if not removed.
A reputable person or company will "guarantee" what they
plant, and replace anything that dies withn a reasonable
period of time. They are also "insured"
in case of any accidental damage to your property.
It is a good idea to ask about these things.
Your landscape is a investment.
Properly done, and cared for it adds considerable value to
your home or business. Ugly and unkempt, it will lessen the
value. Protect your investment. Don't pay incompetents for
costing you money. If someone were to butcher my trees as I
have seen some do, I would call the police, and report
"Vandalism". At the very least, I
would have them replace my trees. A "Bargain" price
for a landscape job is no bargain if you have to pay
someone else to come "fix" it or to totally redo it 3-4
years later. A good landcape improves with age.
Its truly amazing the poeple who are going into the landscape business these days! I've seen several people who couldn't quite handle working for the company I do, turn around and attempt to start up their own business!! Believe me, I know how little knowlege these people had!! Unfortuately there are a lot of people with even less who will believe anything someone tells them about plants, I actually had one person who I caught trying to stick a branch back onto a plant that they had cut by mistake, and cover it up, hoping it wouldn't be noticed, and two weeks later this person decided to start their own company! Some of these people actually manage to make a living because the people they do work for don't know enough to know that the work is not being done properly!
Some people design landscapes. Some
people sell plants. The ones who sell plants want to sell
as many as they can. They will gladly sell you 3-4 times as
many plants as you need for an area if you will buy them,
and probably plant them for you too. They don't care what
it looks like as long as they sell lots of plants. It will
probably look OK for a short while, until the plants start
growing, and you'll have an overgrown jungle! Not only will
this cost you in extra plants,but in a few years at most,
you'll have to pay to have it all redone. There are
nurseries that design decent landscapes as well as sell
plants, but they are the excepton to the rule. Make sure
you're not buying plants you don't need. If it looks
"full and lush" when it is first planted, it will look like
an overgrown nightmare in a year or two. The most
common reason I hear when I have to dig up a mistake is,
"I didn't know it would get that big!" Find out how big it
gets before you have it planted! It will cost you more to
have it removed than it did to have it planted!
April, May, and June are intensely busy months for anyone in any phase of landscaping. If you want work done during this time by someone who is known to do good work it is best to contact them by February or March. (I start getting summer flower orders in January.) If you call a landscape person in May and they have time to do a job with no notice, they do not have a good reputation for their work. Beware of anyone who is overly eager to accept a job without knowing the details, or seeing the property.
It amazes me that some people can make good money for years designing really bad landscapes. There is one man in town who is fairly well known and has been designing and installing landscapes for years, whose designs we regularly have to dig up and redo after a few years. The man seems obsessed with using pfitzer junipers in places that are not nearly large enough for them. It costs a lot more to dig those puppies up when they mature than it did to put them in. We have removed them from 3 large properties in the last month (over 150 of them on a single property.) I passed a new office building last week and noticed that the same man is doing the same thing at the new property. Another job for us to dig up in about 5 years when they mature. You'd think he'd have learned better by now. I guess as long as the horticulturally challenged people keep paying him, he doesn't care what it ends up looking like. I guess its job security for us.
Once you have found a person or
company you are happy with, stick with them for all your
future landscaping
needs. They already know your property, and have proven
their ability. They will always work harder to please a
loyal customer. During busy times, established customers
always come first. It is almost impossible to get a job
done on short notice during the spring if you are a brand
new customer. They'll try harder to squeeze in an
established one.
If you're looking for someone to care
for your complete landscape, look for a "Landscape
Maintenance Co." rather than a "Lawn Service". There's a
BIG differece. (epecially if its a "Lawn care & Handyman
service") You are hiring a professional because they
know more about it than you do. They do know more, and the
more they know they more they may disagree with some of
your ideas. If they tell you a certain plant won't work in
a certain place,-Listen to them. That means they care how
their work turns out. They want your business, and do not
want to argue with you. They also want your plants to
thrive, and your landscape to be a good advertisement for
their quality work. Unfortunately, there are those that know better, but because of the horticultural ignorance of the general public, are forced to choose between doing a job that they know will look like dog doo,
or losing the job to someone who doesn't care if thier work looks like dog doo. Many customers who know infinitely less than they think they do, insist on things being done improperly, because they don't know any better. I have done a few of these jobs, but I plainly tell the customer that its their money, and if they want to spend it on bad landscaping, its their option. I tell them that if they want to pay me to do it that way, I'll do it thier way, but
take no responsibility when they are proved wrong. I also have told a few to please not tell anyone who did the job because it is not the type of job I normally do, and would consider it bad advertising. I may not be rich, but I take pride in my work.
